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High For Hannah Among Dynamic Dutch

Apr 8, 2013  - Craig Lord

Hannah Miley's 400m medley effort of 4:34.21, best in the world this year 0.06sec ahead of Olympic champion Ye Shiwen at Chinese nationals today, granted the Scot the top prize at the Swim Cup Eindhoven ahead of the toast of The Netherlands in 2012, double Olympic sprint queen Ranomi Kromowidjojo, whose season world-leading 24.30 in the 50m freestyle pipped Slovenian Damir Dugonjic's 2013 world-leading 27.33 in the 50m breaststroke for second. 

The top eight performances included two other world season leaders, Bastiaan Lijesen, on 24.73 in the 50m backstroke, and Sarah Sjoestrom (SWE) on 57.66 in the 100m butterfly.

The prize money on points:

  1. Hannah Miley (GRB)                     400 IM              4.34.21
  2. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED)       50 free                 24.30
  3. Damir Dugonjic (SLO)                   50 breast             27.33
  4. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN)             400 IM              4.35.43
  5. Bastiaan Lijesen  (NED)                 50 back                24.73
  6. Sarah Sjoestrom  (SWE)                 100 'fly                57.66
  7. Moniek Nijhuis   (NED)                  50 breast             30.83
  8. Femke Heemskerk  (NED)              200 free            1.57.43

Expect at least half that list, if not more, to be on the podium come World Championships in Barcelona this summer.

Meanwhile, the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation is busy setting its own high standards. 

The videos of each final at the Swim Cup, complete with superb underwater footage, are being loaded at the Dutch swimming youtube channel. Catch up with the action and the skills on display at the Swim Cup that ended on Sunday at the Pieter Van Den Hoogenband Pool in Eindhoven.

The Dutch have used their own TV production, including under water cameras and virtual graphics. In a week in which the world of swimming wondered how much longer it will take for Chinese results to be as transparent as they are in every other leading swim nation 10 years after FINA demanded greater transparency and Chinese inclusion in the sport globally, the Dutch are at the cutting edge of the sport in the 21st century.